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Yale  University  Prize    poem 
1908 


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YALE  UNIVERSITY  PRIZE  POEM 

1908 


YALE  UNIVERSITY  PRIZE  POEM 

1908 


PASSIO    XL    MARTYRUM 


BY 


ARTHUR    EDWARD    BAKER 


NEW     HAVEN 

THE  TUTTLE,  MOREHOUSE  &  TAYLOR  COMPANY 
1908 


P' 

6*84 


PREFATORY  NOTE 

This  poem  received  the  eleventh  award  of  the  prize 
offered  by  Professor  Albert  Stanburrough  Cook  to 
Yale  University  for  the  best  unpublished  verse,  the 
Committee  of  Award  being  Professor  Chauncey 
B.  Tinker,  Professor  Archibald  MacMechan,  and 
Professor  Lane  Cooper. 


235138 


DRAMATIS  PERSONS 

CHRISTIANS 

CRISPUS    THE    RENEGADE 

CENTURION 

ANGELS 

FIENDS 

TWO  SOLDIERS 

WATCH 


PASSIO  XL  MARTYRUM 


FIRST  SOLDIER. 

See  how  the  sparks  fly  snapping  down  the  wind ! 
The  brazier  glows  bright  red,  and  yet  I  freeze. 

SECOND  SOLDIER. 

Would  that  the  gods  who  blow  the  embers  so 
Breathed  not  on  me!     I  love  not  Scythia. 

FIRST  SOLDIER. 

Aye,  give  me  station  near  the  vine  country ! 
This  herding  fools  at  midnight  on  the  ice 
Is  bitter  business.     Where  the  sun  is  warm, 
Men  know  the  worth  of  life,  and  seek  not  death 
In  stubborn,  aimless  conflict  with  the  laws. 

SECOND  SOLDIER. 

Where  else  for  love  of  gods,  or  man,  or  maid, 
Would  forty  such  be  found  as  wait  for  death 
Stark  naked  in  this  air?     Men  say  the  lake 


Each  winter  freezes  to  the  very  springs; 
And  we  that  huddle  o'er  our  little  fires 
Beneath  the  sheltering  banks  are  cold  enough. 
How  red  their  bodies  gleam  against  the  dark ! 

FIRST  SOLDIER. 

Sum  Christianas!     Forty  sturdy  men 
That  for  a  dead  and  buried  Jewish  prophet 
Affront  the  governor  and  welcome  death ! 
Sum  Christianus!    Her  del     Till  the  gods 
Rain  more  than  water,  let  them  ask  me  not 
Such  service ! 

SECOND  SOLDIER. 

At  the  torment,  how  the  crone 
Bade  her  own  son  endure  without  complaint, 
Lest  he,  forsooth,  lose  place  among  their  heroes  ! 
They  all  are  mad. — But  soft,  here  comes  the  round. 

FIRST  CENTURION. 

Let  none  escape.     If  rescue  be  attempted, 
Alarm  the  others.     Bring  me  any  one 
That  offers  to  recant.     Be  vigilant. 


SECOND  SOLDIER. 

We  are  not  like  to  sleep  here  on  the  ice. 
They  say  that  in  the  tribune's  tent  are  baths 
Of  heated  water,  fleeces,  spice  and  wine, 
To  remedy  the  deadly  chill.     Their  songs 
Are  like  their  lives,  a  fretful  dreary  whine. 

CHRISTIANS. 

We  thank  thee,  Lord,  that  we  may  lay  aside 

The  clogging  garb  of  sin, 
Put  off  the  former  man,  instinct  with  pride, 
And  share  the  anguish  of  the  Crucified, 
At  last  to  enter  in. 

Winter  is  bitter,  Paradise  is  sweet; 

We  change  one  night  of  pain 
For  joys  no  earthly  king  can  give;  the  feet 
That  burn  with  cold  shall  press  the  heavenly  street ; 

These  trembling  hands  shall  reign. 

O  comrades,  falter  not,  but  put  to  rout 
The  ancient  ghostly  foe ; 


Hell's  hungry  legions  press  us  close  about, 
And  snatch  and  thrust,  and  strive  with  frantic  shout 
To  drag  us  down  below. 

FIENDS. 

There  is  time !     There  is  time ! 

Come  quickly,  the  baths ! 

Let  the  warm  blood  course 

With  new  life  through  its  paths ! 

New  life!     Warm  life! 

Why  should  man  seek  for  death? 

Is  it  pleasing  to  God? 

Know  ye  not  how  He  saith 

If  they  persecute  here 

Ye  shall  flee  away  there, 

Lest  the  guilt  of  your  blood 

Should  fall  to  their  share? 

CHRISTIANS. 

Lord  Jesus,  to  the  ordeal  we  are  come, 

Forty — and  forty  still  may  we  be  crowned 
As  victors  in  Thy  kingdom.     From  that  sum 

May  none  be  wanting !     Angels,  guard  us  round ! 


FIENDS. 

Doth  He  hear  ?    Do  ye  think 
That  when  Life  gives  her  best 
And  ye  will  not,  that  pain, 
Self-imposed,  brings  a  rest 
In  the  grave?    Fools!     Fools! 
Take  Life,  when  she  offers 
Her  bountiful  breast. 

Take  love  and  wine, 

And  when  the  shine 
Of  passion  in  a  woman's  eyes 

Makes  pulse  leap  fast, 

Forget  the  past 
And  all  this  folly  of  sacrifice ! 

CRISPUS. 

My  spirit  weakens  with  this  cruel  pain. 

CHRISTIANS. 

Forty  are  we,  O  Jesu,  and  dread  is  that  number ! 
Forty  the  days  that  Moses  abode  on  the  mountain, 
Bringing  to  Israel's  sons  the  tables  of  stone; 


Forty  the  days  of  the  fast  of  Thy  servant  Elijah, 
Him  that  would  look  with  the  eyes  of  the  flesh  upon  God 
head; 

Forty  the  days  in  the  wilderness  when  Thou  was  tempted, 
By  that  temptation  we  pray  Thee  to  succor  Thy  servants ; 
May  we  be  crowned  still  forty  in  Heaven  before  Thee ! 


CRISPUS. 

I  cannot  bear  it,  save  me !    I  recant ! 
Quick,  warm  me,  give  me  wine,  before  I  freeze- 
I  hail  thee,  Caesar,  God !     This  grateful  heat — 
Take  me  away,  my  limbs  have  mortified, 
I  perish! 


FIENDS. 

One  soul,  aha! 
We've  trapped  in  sin, 
And  dragged  to  share 
The  dungeons  where 
With  horrid  din 
The  souls,  aha! 


Lament  their  lost  estate. 

One  soul,  aha ! 

One  child  of  grace 

We've  reft  from  Him ! 

The  cherubim 

With  tears  efface 

One  soul,  aha! 
From  the  book  at  Heaven's  gate. 

CENTURION. 

Poor  Crispus !     Couldst  thou  not  have  stayed  with  them, 
Thy  fellows?     They  at  least  rejoice  to  die, 
And  thou  hast  perished  miserably.     This  Christ 
Must  touch  men's  hearts ;  the  sword,  the  lions,  fire, 
And  cold  like  this,  cannot  repress  their  zeal — 
What  light,  what  voice  is  that  above  the  lake? 

ANGELS. 

Glory  be  to  God  on  high!     Amen! 

And  praises  to  the  Lamb  his  Son  !     Amen ! 

The  crown  of  life,  the  high  reward  of  Him 
That  sitteth  on  the  throne,  I  offer  thee ; 
The  palm  of  victory  over  sin  and  self, 

ii 


The  recompense  of  toil,  I  bring  to  thee. 
Hail  to  thee,  Martyr,  witness  for  the  truth, 
Thy  loving  Master  calls  thee  to  His  side. 

Not  unto  us,  O  Lord,  not  unto  us, 

To  Thy  name  be  the  praise !     Amen !     Amen ! 

CENTURION. 

What  is  this  company?     Mine  eyes  grow  dim 

With  the  glory;  and  that  music  stirs  my  soul. 

There  stands  one,  silent,  with  bowed  head;  belike 

He  brought  the  regal  crown  and  palm  for  Crispus. 

In  battle,  when  a  standard-bearer  falls, 

The  next  brave  man  steps  forward  in  his  room, 

And  leaves  no  gap  along  the  line ;  so  I 

Am  minded  to  lay  claim  to  Crispus'  place  .   .  . 

Sum  Christianas  I      Here,  my  cloak  and  tunic, 

My  sandals.     Ah! — I  pray  you  take  me  in, 

Ye  Christians,  for  I  feel  the  love  of  Christ. 

I  know  the  Truth!     O  Christianus  sum! 


12 


ANGELS  AND  CHRISTIANS. 

Glory  to  God!     In  ways  unsearchable 
The  number  hath  He  kept,  and  him  we  mourned, 
Replaced,  as  Matthew  followed  Jude  the  cursed. 
Thou  art  baptized  by  faith,  and  not  in  water 
But  in  thy  life-blood!     Christian  soul,  all  hail! 

Not  unto  us,  O  Lord,  not  unto  us, 

To  Thy  name  be  the  praise !     Amen !     Amen ! 

CERTAIN  CHRISTIANS. 

How  long,  O  Lord,  how  long?     I  yearn  to  be 
With  Thee,  sweet  Jesu,  in  Thy  Paradise. 

OTHER  CHRISTIANS. 

The  East  grows  bright ;  we  enter  on  a  day 
That  shall  not  end.     Into  Thy  hands,  O  Lord ! 

LAST  CHRISTIAN. 

I  soon  shall  join  with  these  my  brothers,  passed 
Before  me.     Ah,  dear  Christ,  I  follow  Thee! 

13 


235138 


FIRST  SOLDIER. 

The  sun  is  coming ;  our  centurion 
Will  ne'er  again  give  orders. 

SECOND  SOLDIER. 

He  was  mad. 

The  slaves  are  dragging  trees  across  the  ice 
To  burn  the  bodies  where  they  lie.     At  last 
The  trumpet !  and  this  cursed  watch  is  over. 


UCLA-Young  Research  Library 

PS536  .Y12p  1908 

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